


Let Me Love You.

by Thousandsmiles



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Best Friends, Cuddling, Date Nights, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Getting Together, Ice Cream, Intense, Nightmares, No Romance, Platonic Kisses, Platonic Life Partners, Platonic Love, Pop corn, Quasiplatonic Relationship, Queerplatonic relationship, at least i think it's intense, because these guys are intense, but not like that, just bromance, no slash actually, qpp, qpr, sappy because I'm a secret sap, unconnected oneshots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-12
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-01-16 12:09:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12342438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thousandsmiles/pseuds/Thousandsmiles
Summary: “Why are you here?” Theo asked him. “Why are doing this?”“Because I want to be here. Because you’re worth it. I know you don’t think so, but I think so. I think you’re beautiful Theo Raeken.”





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I really wasn't sure if to put this one up, i might still take it down but I hope you all enjoy it.  
> Anyways so I had this head cannon of Theo and Liam being in a queerplatonic relationship and I kinda wrote how they got to that point. 
> 
> Music: Brave Enough by Lindsey Stirling ft Christina Perri (no seriously go listen, it's awesome.)
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Wolf.

“Why are you here?” Theo asked him. “Why are doing this?”

“Because I want to be here. Because you’re worth it. I know you don’t think so, but I think so. I think you’re beautiful Theo Raeken.”

He rested his forehead against Theo’s, feeling the trembling that rattled through the chimera’s muscles, hear the stuttering of his heart, knowing just how much he wanted to run away but just how desperate he was to stay.

“I look into your eyes,” Liam whispered, “And I see a beauty there that I feel honored to love.”

“Liam,” Theo’s voice was hoarse, dry and cracked.

“Will you let me love you?”

“Liam,” A plea this time.

He shook his head. “You can’t love me. Liam you can’t. It’s...You’re deluded. Do you know what’s inside me? Do you know how much blood is on my hands? How much people I’ve hurt? I’m a monster. The only thing inside me is acid and vitriol. If you gave me anything I would destroy it.”

“I don’t think so,” Liam said, “I think you would destroy yourself before you ever hurt me.”

He felt Theo retreat even though he didn’t move physically.

“I think you put too much hope in how I feel about you.” His voice was cold, trying to push him away, because Liam was right. He was destroy himself before he ever hurt Liam. He’d give up whatever he wanted just to make sure Liam was safe.

Liam had never felt safer in that moment.

“You’re trembling,” Liam whispered, leaning into him more. He could feel the muscle tense under him as Theo fought to still his body because to pull away from Liam was more than he could bear.

“Stay,” Liam whispered. “I want you to stay. I want you to let me love you. You don’t have to love me back...”

Theo let out a choked noise at that and one hand came up and clamped over Liam’s mouth.

“You’re a fool,” Theo said. He let out a choking laugh, bitter and despairing. “You don't have any idea of what you’re saying, what you’re offering. You don’t know me at all.”

Liam pulls the hand off his mouth gently and twines his fingers between Theo’s.

“I know you would risk your life to save me,” he said gently. He presses a soft kiss to the knuckles of the hand he held.

“I know you’re smart.” Another soft kiss, this time to his forehead.

“I know you care so much now it scares you.” He uses his other hand to coax Theo’s right eye closed and brushes his lips over his eyelid.

“I know you’re brave.” Theo closed the other eye to let him kiss it without prompting even if the rest of his body was coiled tightly.

“I know you’re haunted.” Theo shivers and Liam soothes him with a kiss brushed over his cheekbones.

“I know you long for a place to feel safe.” He presses another kiss to his next cheekbone, lingering a little this time.

“I know you’re kind of a sassy bastard.” Theo actually smiles this time. “But I also know these days you use that sass to tease or help. Not hurt.” The peck Liam plants on his nose is teasing and warm and soft.

His voice dips for the next one. “I know you hate being alone.” Theo if possible stiffens more than he had before. Liam leans in and carefully presses a kiss to the corner of his mouth, skirting his lips delicately.

Theo’s whole body is so clenched tightly he is vibrating.

“I know you’re so afraid that you haven’t changed, that you still destroy everything you touch, you’d cut off your hands so you couldn’t hurt anything else.” Liam tilts his head and lets his lips meet the other corner of Theo’s mouth softly, still skirting his lips. Theo breathes out harshly but he doesn’t move.

Liam ducks his, head nuzzles under Theo’s chin. “And I know, if you could go back in time, go back to the Theo before but make it so that you never hurt me and my friends, maybe never even met us. You’d give up everything good in yourself, for us. For me.”

He presses a final kiss to the hollow of Theo’s throat. Lets his lips linger long and slow and soft on the smooth, warm skin and finally pulls away and rests his head on Theo’s collar bone.

“I know you enough to love you,” Liam says earnestly in the silence after.

“Huh,” It was a softly exhaled laugh. “I wish I was selfish enough to let you love me,” Theo says. “But you’re right. I’ve changed. And I can’t let you do this.”

“You won’t hurt me,” said Liam, wrapping his free hand around Theo’s waist pulling him tighter against him while he shifts and brings up their still entwined hands against Theo’s chest

“You don’t listen,” Theo snapped and his voice was anguished.

“You’re not listening,” Liam snapped back. “So what if you hurt me? I’ll heal. And you’ll apologise. And we’ll work out our boatload of issues because that’s what people do. They don’t give up cause it’s hard. They don’t run away because they might hurt each other. We’re still human somewhere inside Theo! You know what? You’re right. You will hurt me. And you know what? I’ll hurt you. We’ll both make mistakes. But we’ll fix them too. But you know what else?”

“What?” Theo bit out, when it became clear Liam wasn’t going to continue until he got an answer.

“I’d rather be hurt by you, than by anyone else.”

Theo reels back, literally stumbles away from Liam but he can’t escape the sincerity in Liam’s eyes. He turns his head and speaks to the empty air.

“Why me?”

“Because I trust you,” said Liam. “Because you make me feel safe. Because you get me. And because you’re beautiful and I’m selfish enough to want that beauty for myself.”

Theo’s jaw works and then he says. “You’re...not lying.” He turned to look at Liam and his eyes hold confusion and a little bit of awe. “How are you not lying?”

“Because you’re an idiot,” Liam replies and startles Theo into laughter. “No really,” says Liam, “You're kind of an idiot.” He rolls his eyes dramatically and says. “But I’ll give you a pass this time.”

“Really?” Theo’s eyebrows go up and he is teasing back before he realises what he is doing.

“Really,” Liam tells him, stepping in closer. The mood drops from teasing to sober so fast it’s a little dizzying but Liam manages to keep his thoughts straight.

“You make me happy. And no it doesn’t make sense and probably won’t ever make sense but I’m willing to take a chance on it.” He locks his eyes with Theo’s and says carefully, determinedly, “Let me love you?”

“You’re an idiot,” Theo says dropping his head but his words are resigned. “Okay Dunbar,” he said sighing and raising back his head. A little smile is tugging at the corner of his mouth. “You can love me.”

Liam snorts but smiles and pulls Theo in for a hug. After a moment Theo’s arms circle him back.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mornings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote a smidgen more in this fic and thought I'd put it up! Thank you guys for all your kudos comments and reads! I hope you all enjoy this little addition!

 

Liam was drooling on his back. 

“Get a qpp they said,” Theo muttered. “It’ll make you happy they said.”

He rolled his eyes in disgust and said sharply, “Liam!”

“What?” Liam mumbled. 

“You’re drooling on my back,” Theo said acidly.

There was silence and then Liam lifted himself off from where he'd been flopped over Theo. He examined the pool of drool he had left on Theo's smooth, bare back. After a moment he dragged the comforter over and wiped it off and then collapsed back onto Theo.

Theo blinked. “Did you just soak the covers we both share, in your drool?”

“Sorry,” Liam mumbled. 

“I’m going to kill you,” Theo said with certainty. Liam simply buried his face between Theo's shoulder blades like it was the correct response to being threatened. 

“I can't believed this is my life,” Theo said. He began to eel his way free of the werewolf. 

“Stay,” Liam said half asleep.

“To get drooled on again?” Theo said dryly. 

Liam responded to this by shifting off Theo and pulling him as he rolled over so the chimera was flopped over him instead. “There, fixed,” he said.

Theo snorted. “Hardly.”

Liam ignored him until Theo started to get up and then dragged him back down. 

“It’s saturday? Where are you going?”

“I work, remember?” Theo said. “Who’d have known you were such an epic softy?” He added as he tried to disentangle himself from Liam.

“I did,” said Liam. “And I’m pretty sure you did too when you agreed to this.”

Theo rolled his eyes at him. “I agreed to be your qpp, not your teddy bear.”

“Says the guy who turns into a wolf,” Liam shot back, eyes still closed. 

Theo finally escaped the bed. “I turn into a wolf, not a stuff toy.”

“A cuddly wolf,” Liam said. 

“A wild animal,” Theo argued back as he shuffled around looking for his t-shirt.

“Rawr,” Liam said so obligingly, Theo knew he was being mocked. He gave an actual growl to the werewolf who grinned at being able to provoke a response and finally sat up.

“It’s only half day right?” Liam asked. 

“Yeah,” said Theo. He found his t-shirt and shrugged it on. “I have to go, or I’ll be late.” He headed for the door but Liam called out.

“Wait!” He hopped off the bed and headed for Theo.

Oh right, Theo remembered. Liam leaned in and planted a kiss on his cheek. 

Morning and evening kisses were a routine Liam had instituted and he stuck to it rigidly. He didn’t always kiss his cheek, often it was whichever part of Theo was closest and had to this day never given Theo an answer as to why he did it. 

“Happy now?” Theo asked dryly. 

“Sure,” Liam shrugged carelessly but the grin he gave Theo was wide and fond. 

Theo felt his his lips quirk in response and then he was gone, yelling, “Later!” over his shoulder. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I found myself writing more of this... Hope you enjoy.

Life with Theo as a qpp wasn’t always bad. Which meant it was 95% Liam wanting to strangle him because he was being annoying, especially with that smirk made to infuriate people and 1% Liam wanting to die with embarrassment but it was also 1% warm cuddles and sleepy goodnights, 1% random kisses smacked on the top of his head, 1% epic date nights and 1% warm looks and Theo smiling at him like he was everything.

 

Liam loved it best when his last 4% all happened at the same time. But it was Theo which meant he usually got the 95% anger and the 1% embarrassment. Liam wouldn’t change him for the world though because through all his riling of Liam and poking fun at him, he’d give him a  genuine smile or prop up against him, confident that Liam wouldn’t push him away. And Liam wouldn’t, couldn’t, not when Theo had so very few people that would trust him so close to them, not when Theo trusted that Liam didn’t want to push him away.

 

Theo found it hard to express emotion, not when he’d spent his whole life carefully guarded. Liam sighed remembering a conversation they’d had one  day.

 

_“Why can’t you just be more open!” he yelled at Theo, frustrated that he practically had to rip affection out of the chimera._

_“Open?” Theo snapped disbelievingly. He was up in Liam’s face before Liam could process he'd moved. “I lived with the Dread Doctors, they weren’t exactly comforting guardians.”_

_“What you think I’ll be like the Dread Doctors?” Liam snapped back, hurt._

_“No!” Theo pushed him away and then crowded up to him again. “I’m afraid you’ll be like everyone else you ever saw me.”_

_“What were they like?” Liam shouted back._

_“Afraid,” Theo breathed. “Disturbed. Disgusted. Chilled. Shaken. Horrified.”_

_His face shut down every word while Liam's heart stuttered at each one. Liam had no idea what was showing on his face but Theo just looked at him and then backed away. He turned, obviously intending to leave and it spurred Liam out of his horror._

_He surged forward and wrapped his arms around the chimera from behind, and kissed the back of his neck. Theo froze at the contact for a long moment and then he shrugged hard, trying to rip Liam away from him._

_“Let go of me, Liam.”_

_“No,” Liam told him stubbornly._

_“Let go!”_

_“I don’t want to!”_

_“You don’t have to pretend Liam!”_

_“I know,” said Liam. “I’m not pretending.”_

_“You don’t want to be here,”Theo insisted stubbornly._

_“I wish you’d be kinder to yourself,” Liam breathed in response. He tugged gently on the chimera’s arm. Theo resisted so Liam walked around so he could face him. Theo looked away but Liam cupped his face and brought his face back around so he could look him in the eye._

_“I’m not afraid of you. Or disturbed or disgusted or chilled or shaken or horrified or anything else anyone else might have felt. I am angry because you’re being an idiot again. You tend to infuriate me most of the times or poke fun at me but you don’t make me scared of you. You don’t, you don’t make me hate you. Do you remember what I told you?”_

_“You told me a lot of things Liam,” Theo’s voice was taut with repressed emotion._

_“I said you were beautiful,” Liam whispered. Theo’s head whipped back and forth so fast, Liam was afraid he’d broken his neck. He stopped the motion abruptly, still looking away from Liam._

_“I’m not.”_

_“You’re not that person,” Liam told him. “That person, that everyone saw? You haven’t been that person for a long time.”_

_“That’s where you’re wrong!” Theo said. “I have my sister’s heart but I’m still me. I’m not...I can’t....There’s a whole lot of me that hasn’t changed at all.”_

_“It’s the parts that change that count,” Liam told him, desperately, sensing that he was losing Theo._

_“You don't understand!” Theo said frustrated. “I killed my sister when I was 8. I still feel like that sometimes.”_

_“Murderous?” Liam asked, trying to understand because Theo wasn't exactly being coherent._

_“No! It’s just, I still want some of the same things I wanted then.”_

_Liam blinked. “Theo...you can’t erase yourself.  People can start over but they can’t turn into blank slates. We, we wouldn’t be human otherwise. People can change, people do change but you can’t erase entire personalities and I wouldn't want you to either. If you did...you wouldn’t be you. You wouldn’t be Theo Raeken and Theo Raeken happens to be who I want. So stop acting like you’re the worst person in the world because you aren’t. That person, who scared people?  He couldn’t take Gabe’s pain, he wouldn’t have sacrificed himself to the hunt to save me in the hospital, he wouldn’t have come for me and Mason and Corey with the hunters and the Anuk-ite. He wouldn’t hold me when I have nightmares or take me to watch the stars with him in his truck. He wouldn’t do those things, because he’d never want to. But you do. You do and that’s enough.”_

_“It’s not enough for everyone,” Theo said, voice soft and broken._

_“It’s enough for me,” Liam said. “And it’ll keep being enough for me until the day it’s enough for you too.” He brushed a hand through the chimera's hair, feeling it damp with sweat. “Can that be enough for you?” He asked softly._

_Theo looked at him finally. “Do I have a choice?” But his lips were twitching._

_“No,” Liam told him firmly._

_“Bossy,” Theo told him._

_Liam hugged him instead. “If you keep insisting on doing this," Liam mumbled into his chest, “I’m going to have to be.”_

_Theo laughed softly and wrapped his arms around Liam._

_“You know you’re crazy right?”_

_“Only for you,” Liam told him cheerfully  and purposefully cliche. Theo gagged at the cheesiness of his statement but didn’t let him go either._

  


So yes, life with Theo as a qpp wasn’t easy. Neither of them were easy people to get along with on the best of days. But they also refused to let each other go on the worst days and that, that was good enough for Liam. Actually, it was perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me if you liked it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Domesticity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Umm...some more?

 

Hey sweetheart,” Theo says teasingly as Liam comes through the door. 

“Say that again,” Liam mumbled, “but really.”

Theo huffs out a laugh but then, voice gentle and softly affectionate, if still amused, says. “Hey sweetheart.”

“Hey,” liam says dropping his bags and going over to him. Theo abandons the vegetables he'd been cutting to catch Liam in his arms. Liam leans against him and buries his face in the crook of his neck breathing in the scent of the other. 

“Hard day?” Theo asks, still sounding amused. 

“Coach is evil,” Liam says in reply. He revives enough to wound his arms around Theo and give an answering squeeze. 

Theo presses a kiss to his temple and Liam melts against him a little but tilts and presses a kiss to his jaw. 

“What are you making?” He asks. 

“Stir fry,” says Theo. 

“Yum.”

“It's not for you,” Theo says. 

Liam gives him a look. “What do I have to bribe you with?”

“Its food Liam,” Theo says grinning at him, “You can’t bribe somebody for their food. It doesn't work.”

“I thought you liked me,” Liam complained. 

“I love you,” Theo corrects. “But it still my food Liam.” 

“Looks likes a limit to every relationship huh?”

“Food is always the limit to every relationship,” Theo said sagely. But he contradicts his words by feeding Liam a piece of carrot. “Go wash up. I can still smell grass and socks on you.”

“I showered in the locker room,” Liam grumbled but he moves across Theo's tiny apartment to the shower anyway. 

When he comes out Theo is already eating and across from him is another plate filled with stir fry. Liam settles next to him, bumps his shoe against Theo’s affectionately and digs in like the starving wolf he is. 

Dinner is quiet this time. It isn’t always. Sometimes it’s punctuated with the sounds of violent argument or agreement. But today they’re both just sort of soaking up the comfort of each other's presence, the odd happiness that comes from domesticity. 

They wash up the wares when they’re done and Liam settles in at the table to do his homework while Theo lounges on the bed, reading something or the other on his phone. The chimera, Liam had come to realize, really was excessively smart and liked to learn more so he was always reading or watching some instructional video on whatever topic was interesting him at the moment. 

When Liam finally closes his books for the night, Theo is already asleep. He switches off the lights in the apartment and pads over to his qpp.

“Theo,” he calls gently. “Theo.” He had learned early on that startling Theo wasn’t a good idea. After a moment, Theo blinks sleepily at him. Once Liam is sure he recognises him, he crawls in next to him. Theo grumbles about having to move but doesn't actually put up a fuss, letting Liam wrap himself around the chimera and bury his face in his hair. 

“Love you,” Liam mumbles.

He practically hears Theo’s smirk as he answers in true Princess Leia fashion, “I know.” 

Liam rolls his eyes but snuggles deeper into Theo. After a moment, Theo’s fingers thread through his and soon, they’re both asleep. 

  
  



	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Date night!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy!

Liam laughed even as the machine told him he had lost. Werewolf he might be, prodigy lacrosse player he might be, but dancer he was not.

Theo laughed at him from where he was watching dipping his hand into his bag of popcorn.

Still grinning Liam hopped off the dance machine and snatched the bag away from Theo. “Your turn,” he said. But Theo shook his head.

“I wouldn't want to show you up.”

“Liar,” Liam laughed, “You always want to show me up.”

Theo grinned at him. “Maybe. But I don't feel like doing it on a dance machine.”

“What do you want to do then?” Liam asked.

Theo shrugged. “I don't know. Let's just walk. My ears are ringing.”

Liam had to agree. Arcades are not fun places for persons with enhanced hearing.

“Okay,” he agreed.

They left the arcade and just sauntered down the sidewalk, Theo's arm slung across his shoulders, sharing the bag of popcorn.

“So are we just going to keep walking aimlessly?” Liam asked.

“Got a problem with that?” Theo asked.

“Not a problem per say,” began Liam.

“But it is a problem” Theo said half-amused, half-exasperated.

“I just...is there a place you want to go?”

“No,” said Theo.

“Okay,” said Liam.

They walked a little longer before Theo sighed.

“You killed the mood,” he said.

“Don't blame me!” Said Liam. “You're the one who decided that walking aimlessly was a thing to do.”

“I thought enjoying the company was the point,” Theo responded, throwing up his free hand in the air.

“It is the point,” Liam said. “But walking around aimlessly is kinda weird on a date.”

“Lots of people walk around on a date Liam,” said Theo.

“Yeah but they like, window shop or something. And they know where they're going.”

“Would it help if we had a destination?” Theo said.

Liam considered. “Yes,” he decided.

Theo shook his head fondly at him and said, “Ice cream parlour down the road.”

“Ooh!” Liam brightened up.

Theo snorted. “The way to a werewolf’s heart is through his stomach.”

“What's the way to a chimera’s heart?” Liam asked.

“I thought you knew, I don't have one,” Theo joked.

“I think that it's been carefully demonstrated that you do,” Liam objected.

“Well,” Theo said. “I don't think food works but if it had to be something, it might be a particularly stubborn werewolf.”

“I'm not stubborn,” Liam objected even as he dropped his head briefly on Theo's shoulder as acknowledgement of what he had said.

“You followed me around Liam,” Theo reminded him. “You literally decided that I was going to be your friend and set about trying to make it happen. You even slept in the tray of my truck.”

“We were stargazing,” Liam replied hotly. “It's not my fault we fell asleep. And if I remember correctly, you literally kicked me off the tray and drove off. The deputy who woke us up had to drop me home.”

“Really?” said Theo.

“Yes really,” said Liam. “My mother almost had a heart attack when I came home in a squad car.”

Theo laughed.

“It's not funny!” Liam said still ranting. “And then I told her nothing was wrong that I was just hanging out with a friend and we'd had an argument. And she thought I was with a girl for some reason and started after me with a rolling pin because and I quote, ‘so long as you live under my roof as a dependent you will not be knocking any girl up!’ And then the deputy intervened and said I wasn't with a girl and she looked like she had calmed down a bit but then he added that he found me sleeping with a guy in the back of a truck.  And so I started yelling ‘just sleeping not sex’ at the top of my lungs, on repeat which has to be the most embarrassing five minutes of my life. It was even worse when after all that my mom just looked at me and said, ‘I didn't think it was sex up until you started yelling that it wasn't, five minutes ago.’ And after _that_ I had to explain that I really was just hanging out with a friend and we had just fallen asleep.”

At this point in time Theo was so weak with laughter he was actively using his grip on Liam to stay on his feet. Liam huffed at him but then couldn't help smiling at his genuine happiness. “You're the worst,” he said fondly. Theo just laughed harder and buried his face in Liam's shoulder. In fact he kept chuckling all the way to the ice cream parlor.

When they reached there though he bought Liam a double scoop of his favourite flavor and handed it to him with a playful kiss on his cheek. Liam smiled widely at him and cuddled up next to him in the booth. Theo draped an arm over Liam’s shoulders again and smiled back at him, wide and affectionate, eyes sparkling with happiness. And that, that was the stuff Liam lived for. He leaned forward and kissed him lightly on his jaw.

“What was that for?” Theo asked, lips still tipped in a smile.

“An awesome date,” Liam replied, grinning at him. “And an awesome partner.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoy this one!

Liam hated nightmares. Mostly because he could never actually remember what they were and so was left with an almost overwhelming fear that he could do nothing to counter. 

He usually just put his ipod on and let the music play until he fell asleep but sometimes he just couldn’t and he’d lay there staring up at the roof. 

He’d asked Stiles one day, if the rest of them ever got nightmares. 

Stiles had just looked at him and then said, “Of course.”

“How do you deal with it?” Liam had asked. 

“Well my patented method is just not dealing with it,” Stiles had admitted with a grimace. “But it helps to remember all that you've done you know? All the people you’ve saved.For me, it’s like...like a few nightmares are worth it okay? If that’s all I have to pay to save someone’s life, I can do that.”

Liam had ducked his head. “Yeah, I guess so.”

Stiles had sighed and then squeezed his shoulder. “Friends help too and your family. Sometimes my dad would sit up with me or let me sleep on the couch when he’s working over case files. When I was with Malia, she’d come over and just having somebody there would help. Scott listens to people heartbeats sometimes. Usually it’s his mom’s heartbeat or if she’s not home, the neighbours’. Actually I think it was the neighbor's dog, because it’s Scott.”

Liam had laughed then because Scott’s desire to be a vet was well known. 

“But, we all get them, Liam,” Stiles had told him, “It’s just a thing you can’t get past when you’ve seen the things we have. Your mind needs to defrag and deal with it and it does that when we sleep.”

“But it sucks,” Liam had complained.

“Nobody’s arguing that buddy,” Stiles had replied. “Occupational hazard. But you can try white noise or music. Lydia cuddles up with Prada when it’s bad. I occasionally sneak an ounce of my dad’s brandy because my alcohol tolerance is nil and that completely caps me out. I think Derek just runs and broods. Argent probably cleans his guns. Malia shifts and runs too. Sometimes Scott gets up and studies because it always puts him right back to sleep. Isaac watches HGTV. Peter apparently killed people but I don’t know what he does now. Allison uh, I think Ally used to practice with her ring daggers or do some gymnastics or watch funny videos on youtube. If you just want to sit and cry on occasion I hear that’s good too, releases endorphins or something like that.”

“Thanks,” Liam had replied. 

It turned out that music was the only thing that really worked for him. White noise had freaked him out, he couldn’t get drunk, if he studied he actually found himself wide awake, running in the dark after a nightmare wasn’t exactly appealing, funny videos just sort of got mashed together into the nightmares (which he sort of knew even without actually remembering what he’d dreamed), killing people was out of the question and he didn’t have a dog or guns and had never done gymnastics. 

The first time he got a nightmare when Theo was there it was actually about two months after they’d gotten together, He came up swinging, disoriented from his journey from sleep to consciousness, when the worlds of dream and reality blended together. When he finally focused it was to find the chimera crouched at the foot of the bed looking at him, worried. 

“Nightmare,” he croaked.

“I got that, yeah,” Theo replied and then moved towards him. He stopped just short of touching him though. “Is this okay?” he asked, hand hovering over his skin. 

“Yeah,” Liam nodded. 

Theo gripped his arm and rubbed reassuring circles on it with his thumb until Liam’s breath evened out. 

“Wanna talk about it?” He asked after awhile.

“Nothing to talk about,” Liam replied. “I don’t ever remember what it is.”

“Must be nice,” Theo said.

“Not really,” Liam admitted. “I can’t tell myself if my fears are baseless or that they never happened. I just...The fear is just there.”

“Huh,” said the chimera thoughtfully. After a moment he tugged Liam gently towards him and wrapped an arm around his waist and used the other hand to card through his hair. Liam jumped a bit when Theo blew through his locks and Theo chuckled softly.

“Jerk,” Liam said but without heat. After the initial startle, the cold felt good as the sweat from his scalp began drying out. 

He lost track of how long they stayed there until Theo asked, “Can you go back to sleep now?”

“Huh?” said Liam. He shook himself out of the daze he had been coaxed into by Theo’s fingers running across his scalp. “Yeah. Yeah maybe.”

They settled back into bed, Liam opting to keep some distance between them, feeling raw from the aftermath of the dream. He thought he’d actually drop asleep but after fifteen minutes of blinking at the ceiling he shifted and asked, “Do you mind if I put in my headphones?”

Theo shook his head. “No.”

Liam reaches across, plugs in his head phones and flips on his favourite playlist and settles back into bed, fully expecting that he’ll fall asleep soon. He is halfway through the playlist before he admits that sleeping probably isn’t going to happen. 

He switches of his ipod, tugs off his headphones and tosses everything back on the nightstand. There is a sigh and Theo said, “You made me lose a bet against myself.”

“What?” says Liam before he registers that Theo is still awake. 

“I thought you’d make it through the whole playlist before you gave up,” Theo replied.

“What are you still doing awake?” Liam asks.

“Waiting for you to fall asleep,” the chimera replies like it’s the most obvious answer in the world. Liam on the other hand is pretty sure he’s gone speechless. He tests his throat a few times and nothing comes out. Yup, speechless. Before he can find a way to make his throat work again, Theo is moving.

He hops off the bed and begins stripping. Liam blinks at him but doesn’t manage to ask what he’s doing before Theo’s body is twisting and reforming into a large black wolf. The wolf grins toothily at him and hops up onto the bed. Well actually he hops up onto Liam who lets out an ‘oof’ because Theo isn’t exactly light.

Theo licks his face, gives a chuff of laughter at Liam’s reaction and hops back over to his side of the bed before curling up next to Liam. Liam wipes his face off on his t-shirt but then hesitantly puts his arms around the wolf and buries his face in Theo’s fur. 

It takes him a few moments to realize that Theo is purposefully matching their breathing patterns together. The sound of their shared breaths is strangely soothing and so is having Theo here with him like this. 

Despite what he had said to Theo on more than one occasion, the chimera’s wolf form was not cute and cuddly. It was wild and deadly and dangerous. And that, Liam thought, was why he was able to sleep. Having someone so deadly, standing guard was comforting, made him feel like even the stuff of nightmares couldn't touch him. Theo made him feel safe. 

“Thank you,” he murmured into the wolf’s fur. 

Liam woke the next morning when the fur receded into smooth skin and tousled brunette hair. He blinked sleepily at Theo who gave a little huff of laughter. 

“I was hoping you’d stay asleep,” he admitted.

“It’s okay,” Liam said. “I feel okay actually.” 

“Good,” said Theo sitting up. Liam sat up too and dropped a kiss on Theo’s shoulder. 

“Morning. And thanks for last night.”

“It was nothing,” Theo shrugged. He made to slide of the bed but Liam held him back.

“It wasn’t. Nothing, I mean. It wasn’t nothing.”

“Okay, okay,” said Theo. “It wasn’t nothing but you don’t have to make a big deal out of it.”

“I’m not,” said Liam. “I’m just saying thank you and that it meant a lot to me.”

“Okay. You’re welcome,” said Theo finally sliding off the bed and hopping into his clothes. 

“You’re really bad at accepting thanks aren’t you?” Liam said thoughtfully.

“No,” said Theo, shrugging into his t-shirt. “It’s just really not a big deal.”

Liam opened his mouth to protest and then closes it. Then he says, “I love you.”

Theo pauses and gives him a look that’s all fond, exasperated, resigned and just a little bit confused, like he can never understand how Liam can actually say something like that to him. Then he shakes his head at Liam and heads out the room. 

Liam cups his hands by his mouth and yells, “I love you!” after him. 

There’s a beat of silence and then Theo shouts back up, “Of course you do!”

Liam laughs and scrambles down the stairs after him. Theo is propped up in the front doorway, waiting for him, grinning. He raises an eyebrow at Liam, daring and cocky and then spins from the door. 

Liam dives after him and they spend the next few minutes chasing and evading each other across the front lawn until Liam finally catches Theo and tackles him onto the grass. Theo lands hard on his back but he wraps his arms around Liam and holds him tightly as they both laugh breathlessly. 

After a few moments when the laughter is winding down Theo says in between soft chuckles, “Love you.”

And Liam replies smugly, “I know.” He gets tickled for his trouble. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all you lovely people who have been reading, commenting and giving kudos!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> World Kindness Day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little drabble I wrote for World kindness day.

“You know it’s world kindness day today,” Liam informs Theo when he walks into Liam's rooms. Theo pauses by the door as if he’s not sure if this is some lead up to something he should have done. 

He continues in after a moment and says. “Is that so?”

“Yup,” says Laim. “You’re supposed to do something kind.”

“Huh,” said Theo, thoughtfully. After a moment he says. “Well, you don’t smell all that bad today.”

Liam lifts his face from the bed where’s he’s lying on his stomach to give Theo the stinkeye. 

“Really?”

“Yeah,” the chimera says dropping down on the bed next to him and burying his face in the back of Liam’s neck, breathing in deeply. “Really.”

Liam snorts but he is smiling. “Well I guess you’re not so much of an idiot today.”

Theo laughs. 

  
  
  
  



	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam gets attacked by hunters. The aftermath isn't quite what Theo expected.

“Theo!” says Liam as he catapults into Theo’s apartment and flops on his bed.

“Yeah Liam?” Theo says, absentmindedly.

“Love me!” Liam demands; voice half-giddy.

Theo instantly whips his head around and stares at the werewolf on his bed.

“Are you high?” he asks.

“Maybe,” Liam tells him, still in that giddy tone of voice.

“Why?”

“Well,” says the werewolf, “I was attacked by hunters but I survived.”

“What!” A spike of alarm goes shooting through him. “What happened? Where are they?”

“I’m fine,” Liam assures him. He giggles which doesn’t convince Theo at all. “Sheriff Stilinski has them.” He giggles again. “I feel really sorry for them.”

“What did they do to you?”

“Drug,” Liam says. “But laced with wolfsbane so it worked. Deaton says I’m okay. It should wear off in a couple hours.”

“How did you get here?” Theo asked.

“I drove,” Liam says matter of factly.

“They let you drive?” Theo asked angry.

“No,” says Liam. “I stole a car. I stole my car.” He looks at Theo and laughs. “I stole my own car!” He announces.

Theo rubs his forehead. He can already predict that this was going to be a long night.

“Love me!” Liam demands.

Theo sighs.

 

* * *

 

When Liam wakes up the next morning, he feels like his eyelids are glued shut and his mouth is wierdly fuzzy and tastes like something died in there.

“Ugh!” he says sitting up, flailing a little because he feels pretty off balance. He steadies himself and looks around to find himself in Theo’s apartment.

“When did I get here?” he groaned.

“Oh good,” says Theo, “You’re awake.”

The chimera does not look happy with him.

“What happened?” asked Liam because he really can’t remember and that definitely alarms him.

“Hunters hit you with a drug spiked with wolfsbane. It made you a cross between drunk and high,” said Theo.

“Shit,” said Liam.

“No kidding,” says Theo. his voice isn’t calm at all. “I had to deal with your drugged backside all night.”

“Sorry,” says Liam. “It wasn’t that bad right?”

Theo gives him a quelling look. “You were chewing on my hair.”

Liam slumps. “Shit,” he says again. “Shit. I’m sorry. I don’t even know why I came here.”

“I think you missed me,” Theo says dryly, “Considering you walked in and yelled, “Love me’.”

Liam buries his face in his hands. “I am never going to live that down am I?”

“You might,” said Theo. “I don’t think I actually want to remember any of last night. It’s possible I might strangle you to death if I do.”

“Sorry,” says Liam again. The chimera sighs, shakes his head and slides of the bed, heading to the shower.

Liam sits on the edge of the bed and tries to orient himself a bit. His head still isn’t feeling quite right. When Theo exits the shower Liam go in himself and turns on the water as cold as he can. It takes a few minutes but finally his head starts to clear. When the wooziness is completely cleared he turns of the shower and gets dressed.

Theo is having breakfast when he comes out so Liam heads over to him and collapses on the opposite side of the table. Theo doesn’t sport any black bags under his eyes, advanced healing doing it’s job, but he looks tired on the whole.

“I really am sorry for dumping that on you,” he says.

Theo snorts. “And where exactly were you going to go? You couldn’t go home like that. And if you went by Mason his parents would have told your parents.”

Liam opens his mouth to contest this and then slumps in defeat. Before he can say anything though, Theo has pushed back his chair and is now leaning over the table. He cups Liam's’ chins and tilts his head to the light.

It takes Liam a few seconds to realize that Theo is checking the size of his pupils and then he dutifully stares off to some point in the distance. Theo tilts his head a few more times and Liam sits through the examination with more patience than he usually would. After a few moments though, he realized that Theo was no longer checking his pupils. When he glances at the chimera, it’s to find him looking Liam intently.

“What?” he says.

“Don’t you do that again,” Theo said sharply. “The next time you run into hunters you call me!”

“Hey it wasn’t as if I had time…!” Liam began but he was cut off.

“Liam!” Theo snapped. And this time Liam registered the look in his eyes. It wasn’t just anger, it was fear.

Oh.

“Sorry,” he says. He swallows. “Yeah okay, I’ll call you. But hey, I’m fine.”

“This time,” Theo tells him, dropping his hand from Liam's face. “What if the next time they shoot you with something lethal?”

“Well,” said Liam. “You’ll just have to reach in time to save me I guess.”

Theo gives him an unimpressed look.

“What?” says Liam, “You always reach in time to save me. So don’t blame me for assuming you always will.”

Theo gives him another unimpressed look but his eyes are lighter.

Still he says. “How on earth did any of you survive for so long?”

Liam grins at him. “Maybe because we’re secretly good at what we do.” Any offense he feels about Theo instantly bursting into laughter at the audacity of that statement is covered over the happiness he feels at seeing the fear leave his friend's eyes. He still kicks the chimera’s foot in revenge though.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is officially the final chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had wanted to write this chapter for a long time but I hadn't quite managed to get into the right frame of mind to do it. I really hope this one was good though. 
> 
> Music: Alps by Novo Amor and Ed Tullett

 

“I’m going to kill him!” Liam says stalking into the house and running the stairs to his room. “I don’t care I’m going to kill him!”

After a few moments Dr. Geyer came upstairs and peeked into his room where Liam was frantically pacing up and down. 

“So...I’m guessing Theo?”

Liam growled. “That! That...idiot!!!!” He waved his arms and then tugged at his hair.

“I’m going to need some more context,” Dr. Geyer says, half amused, half-worried. 

“He…!!!” Liam grabbed a pillow and smacked it against his wall a couple times. “So,” he said after a moment, “I was talking about college. I mean I haven’t decided which ones I’m actually going to out of all the ones who accepted me so I was talking to Theo, thinking he might be able to help me figure it out.”

“Okay,” said Dr. Geyer, after Liam had stopped speaking for a moment too long. “How does that translate to you wanting to kill him?”

“Because, we’d narrowed it down to two choices right? Both on the west coast, so I was pretty close to home and I said he’d have to drive down and visit me at college. And he asked me why, he’d have to because, I quote ‘I’m pretty sure you’d have a lot of people to spend your time with.’ So, I said, he’s my qpp, obviously I’d want to see him. And he just gave me this look.”

“He wants to end your relationship?” Dr. Geyer asked feeling confused. 

“Yes,” said Liam, “But not because  he wants to but because he assumed that I would. That I’d just dump him when I went off to college and go hang out with other people and, and, forget about him. Like he wasn’t important.”

Liam stopped to take a harsh breath in. “And when I asked him if he thought that I was that shallow, he told me that he didn’t but that I deserved people who could give me what I needed and wanted, better than he could. That he wasn’t going to hold me back from forming relationships with people who weren’t damaged and that he wanted the best for me!”

Dr. Geyer winced. 

“Liam,” He tried to say in a conciliatory tone.

“And you know what?,” Liam continued. “I’m not even mad at him for saying that.”

“What are you mad at him for then?” Dr. Geyer asked. 

“I’m mad,” Liam said, angry tone giving way to a tear-filled one, “because that idiot became my qpp, invested so much of himself in our qpr, all the while, thinking that he’d lose it in a freaking year.” Liam took a sobbing breath. “He still, he still….even when he thought he’d lose it, when I went to college and I…How could he do that? Why would he do that to himself?”

He couldn’t quite keep the tears back and Dr. Geyer hugged him hard. 

“He thought I’d leave him,” Liam whispered, “And he still made himself...vulnerable for me.” 

Dr. Geyer squeezed him a little and then said, “I think you need to talk to him because if I know you at all , you stomped out. Go. Talk to him. Tell him how you feel. This is definitely something the two of you need to sit down and discuss like mature people.”

Liam nodded and pulled away wiping at his eyes. 

“Hey,” said Dr. Geyer. “You two will figure it out. And I know that because this friendship means a whole lot to the both of you. I can’t imagine either of you will really give it up without a fight.”

* * *

 

When Liam walked in to Theo’s apartment, the chimera’s face was smooth and his eyes hard. But Liam know him well enough to recognize it for the mask it was. 

Theo opened his mouth but Liam beat him to it. 

“If you think that anything that comes out of your mouth is going to get me to go away then you should think again.” Theo shut his mouth and made a sarcastic ‘go on’ gesture.

Liam stalked over to where Theo sat on the couch and said, “You’re an idiot. I told you, I told you I love you.”

Theo opened his mouth and Liam spoke over him. “I still love you and me going away to college and meeting new people isn’t going to change that.”

“You don’t know that,” Theo said. 

“I do know that,” Liam refuted and ignored Theo’s snort. “Look,” he dropped to his haunches and reached up to rest his hand on the side of Theo’s face. “I understand that you think other people would be better than you. I know that you want the best for me. But...I want you.”

Theo made a weird choking sound and his eyes flickered away. “There’s isn't anyone else I want. There isn’t anyone else I trust. You make me feel safe, you make me feel loved. I like making you happy. I like seeing you smile. I like all the random stupid things we do when we hang out. Spending time with you isn’t time wasted because it’s with you. I like our date nights. I like that I’m the one who’s there when you have nightmares.” Liam tapped his cheek to get Theo to look at him. “This, what we have, this means a lot to me. And I know it means a lot to you. And I’ll fight for it.”

“Liam,” Theo starts. 

“The only way I’ll let go is if you tell me you want it to end and you say it not for me, but because it’s what’s best for you.” 

“Liam, you can’t…” Theo broke off frustrated. “I’m doing this for you!”

“I know,” Liam said. He tugs Theo’s head down until he can rest is forehead against the chimera’s. “But friendship is give and take. I can’t take everything and give nothing.” 

“You’ve given me enough,” Theo breathes. “You’ve given me more than you know.”

“I don’t mind,” Liam says, “You’ve given me more than you know too.” But Theo is pulling away. Liam makes a noise of frustration and sits on the couch next to him running his hands through his hair as Theo tries to ignore him.

“I just….I don’t know what to say,” he spits out finally. “I don’t know what the hell to say to stop you from leaving. I don’t want you to leave. I don’t know how to tell you that, that I need you. That you’re a part of my world irrevocably and I don’t know how to function in a world where you’re not here. You’re my friend. You’re my best friend. You were someone I thought I’d have forever and now...now I feel like there’s a hole inside me. You’re my queerplatonic life partner and I thought that meant for life, not until-you-go-of-for-college. I want you to stay. I want to...I want time to knock some sense into that stupid head of yours so that you wouldn’t do shit like get into a qpr with someone who you think is going to leave you because you deserve better than that. I want time to convince you that you deserve better than that.” Laim made an angry gesture. “I don’t know what to say to make you give me that time!”

When he finally stops ranting and looks at Theo properly, the other boy is staring at him with an expression that is both unreadable and vulnerable.

“Do you mean it?” he asks after a while, eye’s locked into Liam's intensely.

“Wha?” Liam begins. 

“All of what you said,” Theo replied, “Do really mean it?”

“Of course I do,” Liam says. 

Theo studies him and then said, “Why?” almost helplessly. 

“Because I love you,” Liam said. “And the one thing I’ve learned about love is that we don’t get the love we deserve, we get the love that people gift us. And when we’re really lucky, we get someone who gifts us a whole lot of love over and over again, simply because they want to.” He shrugged, “That’s just the way it is. And I love you. A lot. And, I don’t want to lose you.” 

“I don’t want to lose you either,” Theo says, and the words sound wrung out of him, like he has to squeeze them past his voice box before they shatter his heart. 

“Then you won’t,” Liam says softly. “Even if I lose you, you won’t lose me.”

“You can’t lose me,” Theo says, voice cracking but still managing to be humorous. “I don’t it’s possible,” he sighed.

“Good,” Liam says and and hugs him tightly. “I’m pretty good with that.”

“Only pretty good?” The chimera teases him but his voice is still vulnerable. 

“It’s the best thing ever,” Liam says, face mashed into Theo’s shoulder and Theo finally hugs him back. 

“I’ll hold you to that,” Theo murmurs.

“You better,” Liam says. “You better.” Theo’s happy sigh assured him that he would. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope it was a satisfactory conclusion!

**Author's Note:**

> Tell me what you think. Is it any good?


End file.
